1976 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1976 Atlantic hurricane season was an average Atlantic hurricane season, officially starting on June 1, 1976, and ending on November 30, dates which conventionally limit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones develop in the Atlantic Ocean. The season produced 23 tropical cyclones, of which ten developed into named storms; six became hurricanes, and two attained major hurricane status. The strongest hurricane of the season was Hurricane Belle, which reached Category 3 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale east of North Carolina; Belle later struck Long Island, New York, as a Category 1 hurricane, causing $100 million in damage (1976 USD) and a total of five deaths across the New England region of the United States. The season began with Subtropical Storm One on May 21, prior to the official start of the season; the bounds of the season are from June 1 to November 30, which conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. Tropical Storm Dottie caused flooding rains in Florida that caused a total of four deaths. In early September, Hurricane Emmy caused 68 indirect deaths when a Venezuelan Air Force plane carrying a school choir crashed on a landing attempt at Lajes Air Base in the Azores during the storm. __TOC__ Seasonal summary ImageSize = width:800 height:200 PlotArea = top:10 bottom:80 right:20 left:20 Legend = columns:3 left:30 top:58 columnwidth:270 AlignBars = early DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/05/1976 till:01/11/1976 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMinor = grid:black unit:month increment:1 start:01/05/1976 Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.88) id:GP value:red id:TD value:rgb(0.38,0.73,1) legend:Tropical_Depression_=_<39_mph_(<62_km/h) id:TS value:rgb(0,0.98,0.96) legend:Tropical_Storm_=_39–73_mph_(63–117 km/h) id:C1 value:rgb(1,1,0.80) legend:Category_1_=_74–95_mph_(119–153_km/h) id:C2 value:rgb(1,0.91,0.46) legend:Category_2_=_96–110_mph_(154–177_km/h) id:C3 value:rgb(1,0.76,0.25) legend:Category_3_=_111–130_mph_(178–209_km/h) id:C4 value:rgb(1,0.56,0.13) legend:Category_4_=_131–155_mph_(210–249_km/h) id:C5 value:rgb(1,0.38,0.38) legend:Category_5_=_≥156_mph_(≥250_km/h) Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas BarData = barset:Hurricane bar:Month PlotData= barset:Hurricane width:11 align:left fontsize:S shift:(4,-4) anchor:till from:21/05/1976 till:25/05/1976 color:TS text:"SS One" from:07/06/1976 till:09/06/1976 color:TD text:"TD" from:11/06/1976 till:12/06/1976 color:TD text:"TD" from:20/07/1976 till:22/07/1976 color:TD text:"TD" from:23/07/1976 till:24/07/1976 color:TD text:"TD" barset:break from:28/07/1976 till:01/08/1976 color:TS text:"Anna (TS)" from:06/08/1976 till:10/08/1976 color:C3 text:"Belle (C3)" from:18/08/1976 till:21/08/1976 color:TS text:"Dottie (TS)" from:18/08/1976 till:24/08/1976 color:C1 text:"Candice (C1)" from:20/08/1976 till:04/09/1976 color:C2 text:"Emmy (C2)" from:27/08/1976 till:04/09/1976 color:C3 text:"Frances (C3)" from:04/09/1976 till:06/09/1976 color:TD text:"TD" barset:break from:05/09/1976 till:07/09/1976 color:TD text:"TD" from:13/09/1976 till:17/09/1976 color:TS text:"SS Three" from:20/09/1976 till:27/09/1976 color:TD text:"TD" from:22/09/1976 till:24/09/1976 color:TD text:"TD" from:26/09/1976 till:04/10/1976 color:C2 text:"Gloria (C2)" from:26/09/1976 till:28/09/1976 color:TD text:"TD" from:03/10/1976 till:12/10/1976 color:TD text:"Ten" barset:break from:12/10/1976 till:15/10/1976 color:TD text:"TD" from:22/10/1976 till:28/10/1976 color:C1 text:"Holly (C1)" bar:Month width:5 align:center fontsize:S shift:(0,-20) anchor:middle color:canvas from:01/05/1976 till:01/06/1976 text:May from:01/06/1976 till:01/07/1976 text:June from:01/07/1976 till:01/08/1976 text:July from:01/08/1976 till:01/09/1976 text:August from:01/09/1976 till:01/10/1976 text:September from:01/10/1976 till:01/11/1976 text:October TextData = pos:(570,30) text:"(From the" pos:(617,30) text:"Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind Scale)" Officially, the 1976 hurricane season began on June 1 and ended November 30; however, the first system – Subtropical Storm One – developed on May 21. Conditions across the Atlantic were somewhat unfavorable for tropical cyclogenesis throughout the year, with high wind shear dominating the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. The bulk of the season's activity was confined to August when five named storms formed. Compared the previous ten year average of storms per season, the 1976 season was considered an average one. However, the lack of activity in both the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico was considered a rare event that had only occurred one other time in 1962 since 1900. The year's activity was reflected with a cumulative accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 84, classifying it as a "near-normal" season. ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. It is only calculated on tropical systems at or exceeding 39 mph (63 km/h), which is tropical storm strength. Systems Subtropical Storm One On May 19 an upper-level trough produced widespread thunderstorms over the Gulf of Mexico. Slowly, the system organized, first to a subtropical depression on May 21, then to a subtropical storm on May 23. The storm began to move faster, and on May 23, it hit the Florida Panhandle. After moving across Georgia at a forward motion of the storm reached its peak of maximum sustained winds reaching 50 mph (85 km/h) while southeast of the Carolinas on May 24. After transitioning into an extratropical cyclone, the system traveled generally northeast and ultimately dissipated on May 31 south of Iceland. Heavy rainfall was associated with the system, but the precipitation was generally beneficial due to dry conditions. The storm spawned nine tornadoes in Florida, one of which destroyed 6 mobile homes and damaged 40 others; demolished 6 large chicken houses; and severely damaged a paint plant in Hillsborough County. Overall, the tornadoes left about $628,000 in damage. A total of 3,364 household lost power in the Hillsborough County after three circuits were blown down. Some wind damage occurred in northeastern Palm Beach County, mostly limited to a few roofs damaged and downed trees, electrical poles, and power lines. The storm left about 15,000 people without electricity in Broward County, though most outages were restored quickly. Boat traffic along the New River was backed-up due to the storm causing the draw bridge to malfunction. Tropical Storm Anna A non-tropical low pressure area developed over the central Atlantic in late July. After merging the low merged with a polar trough on July 28, a subtropical depression developed about east-southeast of Bermuda at 18:00 UTC. The subtropical depression moved eastward and strengthened, becoming a subtropical storm early on July 30. At 02:00 UTC, the ship M.S. Pointe Allegre observed a barometric pressure of and wind gusts as high as . The cyclone peaked with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) at 12:00 UTC on July 30. Curving east-northeastward, the system also acquired tropical characteristics, with a transition to Tropical Storm Anna becoming complete about six hours later. The surface ridge to the north and east caused Anna to begin curving northeastward on August 1. Anna soon lost tropical characteristics and became an extratropical cyclone while situated about east-southeast of the Azores. The remnants moved in a circular path and approached the Azores from the north, before dissipating on August 16. Gale-force winds were reported in the Azores after Anna became extratropical. Hurricane Belle In late July, a tropical wave emerged off the west coast of Africa. Traversing the Atlantic Ocean for more than a week, the system eventually consolidated into a tropical depression near the Bahamas on August 6. Remaining nearly stationary for a day, the depression strengthened into a tropical storm on August 7 and a hurricane later that day as it acquired a northwest motion. Formation of an eye accompanied quick intensification and Belle reached its peak the following day with winds of 120 mph (195 km/h). The hurricane subsequently turned north and accelerated, skirting the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Early on August 10, Belle made landfall in Long Island, New York, as a minimal hurricane before moving inland over southern New England as a tropical storm hours later. Thereafter, Belle transitioned into an extratropical cyclone before moving over Atlantic Canada. The system turned east while over the north Atlantic and ultimately dissipated on August 15 to the south of Iceland. Threatening much of the East Coast of the United States, hurricane warnings were issued from Georgia to Maine. An estimated 500,000 people evacuated coastal areas accordingly. Five people lost their lives in a car accident on a rain-slicked highway near the North Carolina–Virginia state line; another person died due to a car accident in Norfolk, Virginia. In New York, damage on Long Island reached $8 million, of which $3 million stemmed from erosion at Rockaway Beach. One person was killed in New York when a branch snapped off a tree due to high winds and fell on her. Approximately 36,000 residents in the lower Hudson Valley lost electricity. In Connecticut, strong winds in Bridgeport downed trees, which fell on barns, porches, and homes. About 247,000 people lost electricity throughout the state. Three deaths occurred in Connecticut, one from an accident caused by slippery roads and the other two from carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator. Flooding was reported across New England and was especially severe in Vermont. The hardest hit town was Chester, where 35 of its 85 roads flooded and 5 bridges were washed out. Two people died in Huntington after the footbridge they were crossing collapsed into the Huntington River. A total of 12 people lost their lives and damage reached an estimated $100 million. Some damage also took place in New Brunswick from heavy rain. Tropical Storm Dottie An area of low pressure in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico developed into a tropical depression early on August 18. The depression drifted east and northeastward over the next day, before beginning to accelerate on August 19. The cyclone further intensified into Tropical Storm Dottie by 12:00 UTC. Shortly thereafter, Dottie made landfall in Florida over mainland Monroe County. The cyclone quickly proceeded northeastward before re-emerging into the Atlantic near Palm Beach. Dottie moved northward and peaked with winds of 50 mph (85 km/h) at 06:00 UTC on August 20, before subsequently weakening due to wind shear. By the time Dottie made landfall in Charleston, South Carolina, early on August 21, it was barely of tropical storm intensity. It deteriorated into a tropical depression on August 21 and dissipated shortly thereafter. The remnant low pressure system turned southward and once again entered the Atlantic before turning westward and crossing the Florida peninsula. Dottie dropped heavy rainfall in South Florida, with a peak total of . However, impact from the precipitation was mainly limited to street flooding in several cities, which delayed the commute of thousands of motorists during morning rush hour traffic, especially in Miami. Tropical storm force wind gusts damaged a roof in Marathon, downed some trees, and disrupted electricity in at least 20 neighborhoods, though wind damage overall was minor. In the Bahamas, a fishing boat capsized near Grand Bahama, drowning four of its occupants. Rainfall was generally light in the Carolinas, though of precipitation fell in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, flooding some areas of the city with up to of water. However, rainfall was mostly beneficial due to a severe drought. Beach erosion occurred due to tides reaching normal at Atlantic Beach. Hurricane Candice On August 11, a cold-core low was located south of Bermuda. Over the next week, the system warmed and moved toward the surface. Around 12:00 UTC on August 18, the low developed into a tropical depression about west-southwest of the island, after satellite imagery showed better organization and a ship reporting winds gusting to . Moving fairly quickly to the north-northeast, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Candice about six hours later. Candice curved east-northeastward early on August 20 and weakened slightly, before re-strengthening later that day. By 06:00 UTC on August 20, the cyclone intensified into a hurricane. Around that time, Candice had decelerated and briefly turned to the southeast, before pivoting northeastward on August 21. Candice continued to intensify, peaking with sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h) and a minimum pressure of later on the following day. The hurricane then accelerated due to an approaching cold front, before merging with the front about 475 mi (765 km) east of Newfoundland at 12:00 UTC on August 24. Hurricane Emmy A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic from the west coast of Africa on August 15. The wave moved westward at before developing into a tropical depression on August 20, while it was situated approximately east of the Lesser Antilles. The depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Emmy on August 22 as it moved west-northwestward, about two days before recurving to the northeastward. After intensifying into a Category 1 hurricane on August 25, the storm began moving eastward due to a frontal low pressure system located to the northeast. Late on August 26, Emmy strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane while moving northeastward. The hurricane resumed its west-northwestward course late on August 27, before again turning to the east early on August 29 due to strong upper-level westerlies. At 12:00 UTC, Emmy attained its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of . The cyclone slowly weakened while moving eastward, falling to Category 1 intensity on September 1. Emmy briefly headed east-southeastward, before turning to the north-northeast on September 2. Between late on the following day and early on September 4, Emmy passed through the Azores, before being absorbed by Hurricane Frances shortly after moving north of the islands. Damage in Azores was apparently not significant, though the storm caused 68 deaths when a Venezuelan Air Force plane carrying a school choir crashed on a landing attempt at Lajes Air Base. Hurricane Frances Like Emmy, the tropical depression that became Hurricane Frances formed from a tropical wave on August 27, while midway between the Lesser Antilles and the coast of Africa. The next day, it became a tropical storm, and on August 30, Frances became a hurricane. As it recurved to the north and east, Frances reached its peak of 115 mph (185 km/h) on September 1. Steady weakening occurred afterwards, and Frances became extratropical on September 4. Subtropical Storm Three On September 12, the interaction between mid-tropospheric low and a diffuse stationary front led to the formation of a low pressure system over central Florida. As it moved north-northeastward, it developed a circulation and became a subtropical depression on September 13. The next day it became a subtropical storm, and reached its peak of 45 mph (75 km/h) over the western tropical Atlantic, off the coast of Georgia. The storm quickly made landfall near Charleston, South Carolina, and dissipated over southern Virginia on September 17. Hurricane Gloria A tropical wave became a tropical depression on September 26, located northeast of the Lesser Antilles. On September 27 while moving northward, it strengthened to become Tropical Storm Gloria. After moving northwestward for a day, Gloria moved northeast, strengthening to a 105 mph (165 km/h) hurricane on September 30. Steady weakening ensued, and Gloria lost its tropical characteristics on October 4. Hurricane Holly A tropical wave emerged from the west coast of Africa on October 14. The wave initially remained relatively weak, until convection began concentrating near the center while it was situated well east of the Lesser Antilles on October 20. After further organization, a tropical depression developed at 18:00 UTC on October 22 roughly 405 mi (650 km) east-northeast of the Leeward Islands. The depression moved north-northwestward and strengthened into Tropical Storm Holly about 24 hours later. Shortly thereafter, the storm curved north-northeastward and intensified at a faster pace. At 12:00 UTC on October 24, Holly became a Category 1 hurricane and peaked with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of . However, the system weakened back to a tropical storm about 24 hours later due to interaction with an upper trough. Early on October 27, Holly began accelerating northeastward ahead of a cold front. The storm merged with the cold front late on October 28 about northwest of the Azores. The remnants quickly became indistinguishable. Other systems Throughout the 1976 season, there were 11 tropical depressions monitored that did not achieve gale intensity. Tropical Depression Ten in early October brought heavy rains to Puerto Rico. Seasonal effects This is a table of all of the storms that have formed during the 1976 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes their names, duration, peak strength, areas affected, damage, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all of the damage figures are in 1976 USD. Storm names The following names were used for named storms that formed in the Atlantic basin in 1976. No storms were retired following the season; however, an overhaul of the naming system in 1979 to include male names resulted in the majority of this list being discarded. The exceptions were Frances, Gloria, Kay, Maria, and Pamela. See also *List of Atlantic hurricanes *List of Atlantic hurricane seasons *1976 Pacific hurricane season *1976 Pacific typhoon season *1976 North Indian Ocean cyclone season *Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone seasons: 1975–76, 1976–77 References External links * HPC rainfall page for 1976 tropical cyclones * Monthly Weather Review Category:1976 Atlantic hurricane season Category:Articles which contain graphical timelines